October 21, 2023 • 19 mins
Treasure IslandThe story is narrated by young Jim Hawkins, who becomes embroiled in a thrilling tale of piracy and buried treasure. When Jim and his mother discover a map in the chest of their inn's deceased lodger, Billy Bones, they realize it points to the legendary treasure of Captain Flint, a notorious pirate. This discovery leads to Jim embarking on a perilous voyage aboard the Hispaniola to Skeleton Island, where the treasure is believed to be hidden.During the journey, Jim discovers that a large portion of the ship's crew is composed of pirates, formerly under the command of Flint, and now led by the cunning and charismatic Long John Silver. Silver and his crew plan to mutiny once they reach the island and claim the treasure for themselves.The story unfolds with battles, treachery, loyalty, and cunning strategy. Throughout his adventure, Jim encounters danger at every turn, from deadly skirmishes with the pirates to encounters with the island's indigenous inhabitants."Treasure Island" is not just a tale of adventure but also a coming-of-age story for Jim, who must navigate moral ambiguities, learn whom to trust, and grow into his own as a young man. The novel also delves into themes of greed, loyalty, and the unpredictability of human nature.The character of Long John Silver, with his mix of ruthlessness and charm, is one of literature's most famous and complex pirates. Stevenson's vivid characters, combined with the suspenseful narrative, make "Treasure Island" a timeless tale that has captivated readers for generations.
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(00:00):
Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Treasure Islandby Robert Lewis Stevenson, read by Adrian
(00:21):
Pratzellus, Chapter seventeen, narrative continuedby the Doctor the Jolly Boat's last trip.
This fifth trip was quite different fromany of the others. In the
first place, the little galley partof a boat that we were in was
gravely overloaded, five grown men,and three of them trelawney, redruth,
(00:44):
and the captain, over six feethigh, was already more than she was
meant to carry. Add to thatthe powder, pork and the bread bags.
The gunwales were lipping astern several timeswe shipped a little water, and
my breeches and the tails my coatwere all soaking wet. Before we had
gone a hundred yards. The captainmade us trim the boat, and we
(01:07):
got her to lie a little moreevenly. All the same we were afraid
to breathe. In the second place, the ebb was now making a strong
rippling current running westward through the basin, and then southered and seaward down the
straits by which we had entered inthe morning. Even the ripples were a
danger to our overloaded craft. Butthe worst of it was that we were
(01:29):
swept out of our true course andaway from our proper landing place behind the
point. If we let the currenthave its way, we should come ashore
beside the gigs, where the piratesmight appear at any moment. I cannot
keep her head for the stockade,sir, said I to the captain.
I was steering while he and Redruth, two fresh men, were at the
(01:51):
oars. The tide keeps washing herdown. Could you pull a little stronger,
not without swamping the boat. Sayyou must bear up, sir,
If you please bear up until yousee your gaining. I tried, and
found by experiment that the tide keptsweeping us westward till I had laid her
(02:14):
head due east, or just aboutright angles to the way we ought to
go. We'll never get ashore atthis rate, said I. If it's
the only course we can lie,sir, we must even lie, it,
returned the Captain. We must keepupstream, you see, sir,
He went on, If once wedropped to leeward of the landing place,
(02:37):
it's hard to say where we shouldget ashore, besides the chance of being
boarded by the gigs. Whereas theway we go the current must slacken,
and then we can dodge back alongthe shore the current's lesser. Ready,
sir, said the man Gray,who was sitting in the fore sheets.
(02:59):
You can ease off a bit.Thank you, my man, said I,
as if nothing had happened, forwe had all quietly made up our
minds to treat him like one ofourselves. Suddenly the Captain spoke up again,
and I thought his voice was alittle changed. The gun said he.
(03:19):
I have thought of that, saidI, for I made sure he
was thinking of a bombardment of thefort. They could never get the gun
ashore, and if they did,they could never haul it through the woods.
Look astern doctor replied the captain.We had entirely forgotten the long nine.
And there, to our horror werethe five rogues busy about her getting
(03:43):
off her jacket, as they calledthe stout top hole in cover under which
she sailed. Not only that,but it flashed into my mind at the
same moment that the round shot andthe powder for the gun had been left
behind, and the stroke of anaxe would put it all into the possession
of the evil ones abroad. Israelwas Flint's gunner, said Gray hoarsely.
(04:04):
At any risk, we put theboat's head directly for the landing place.
By this time we had got sofar out of the run of the current
that we kept steerage way even atour necessarily gentle rate of rowing, and
I could keep her steady for thegoal. But the worst of it was
that, with the course I nowheld, we turned our broadside instead of
(04:28):
our stern to the Hispaniola and offereda target like a barn door. I
could hear as well as see thatbrandy faced rascal Israel Hands plumping down a
round shot on the deck. Who'sthe best shot, asked the captain,
mister Trelawney, out and away,said I, mister Trelawney, will you
(04:50):
please pick me off one of thosemen, Sir hands, if are possible,
said the captain. Trelawney was ascold as steel. He looked to
the priming of his gun. Now, cried the captain. Easy with that
gun, sir, or yall swampthe boat all hands stand by to trim
(05:11):
her. When he aims, thesquire raised his gun. The rowing ceased,
and we leaned over to the otherside to keep the balance. And
all was so nicely contrived that wedid not ship a drop. They had
the gun by this time slewed aroundupon the swivel, and Hans, who
was at the muzzle with the rammer, was in consequence the most exposed.
(05:34):
However, we had no luck,for just as Trelawney fired down, he
stooped, the ball whistling over him, and it was one of the other
four who fell. The cry hegave was echoed not only by his companions
on board, but by a greatnumber of voices from the shore. And
looking out in that direction, Isaw the other pirates trooping out from among
(05:57):
the trees and tumbling into their placein the boats. Here come the gigs,
Sir said, I give way,then said the captain. We mustn't
mind if we swamp her now.If we can't get ashore, all's up.
Only one of the gigs is beingmanned, Sir, I added.
The crew of the other is mostlikely going around by shore to cut us
(06:20):
off. They'll have a hot run. Sir returned the captain jack ashore.
You know, if it's not nearmy mind, it's the round shot carpet
bowls. My lady's maid couldn't miss. Tell us, squire, when you
see the match, and we'll holdwater. In the meantime, we had
(06:41):
been making headway at a good pacefor a boat so overloaded, and we
had shipped but little water in theprocess. We were now close in thirty
or forty strokes, and we shouldbeat her, for the Ebb had already
disclosed a narrow belt of sand belowthe clustering trees. The gig was no
long longer to be feared. Thelittle point had already concealed it from our
(07:03):
eyes. The Ebb tide, whichhad so cruelly delayed us, was now
making reparation and delaying our assailants.The one source of danger was the gun.
If I durst, said the Captain, I'd stop and pick off another
man. It was plain that theymeant nothing should delay their shot. They
(07:25):
had never so much as looked attheir fallen comrade, though he was not
dead, and I could see himtrying to crawl away. Ready, cried
the squire. Hold cried the captain, quick as an echo, and he
and Redruth backed with a great heavethat sent her astern bodily under water.
The report fell into the same instantof time. This was the first that
(07:48):
Jim heard the sound of the squire'sshot, not having reached him. When
the bull passed. Not one ofus precisely knew, but I fancy it
must have been over our heads,and that the wind of it may have
contributed to our disaster. At anyrate, the boats sunk by the stern
quite gently in three feet of water, leaving the captain and myself facing each
(08:11):
other on our feet. The otherthree took complete headers and came up again
drenched and bubbling. So far therewas no great harm, no lives were
lost, and we could wade ashorein safety. But there were all our
stores at the bottom, and tomake things worse, only two guns out
of five remained in a state forservice. Mine I had snatched from my
(08:35):
knees and held over my head bya sort of instinct. As for the
captain, he had carried his overhis shoulder by a bandolier, and like
a wise man, lock uppermost.The other three had gone down with the
boat. To add to our concern, we heard voices already drawing nearer to
us in the wood along the shore, and we had only the danger of
(08:56):
being cut off from the stockade inour half crip called state. But the
fear before us whether if Hunter andJoyce were attacked by half a dozen they
would have the sense and conduct tostand firm. Hunter was steady, that
we knew. Joyce was a doubtfulcase, a pleasant polite man for a
valet and to brush one's clothes,but not entirely fitted for a man of
(09:20):
war. With all this in ourminds, we waded ashore as fast as
we could, leaving behind us thepoor jolly boat and a good half of
all our powder and provisions. Endof chapter seventeen. Chapter eighteen narrative continued
by the Doctor end of the firstday's fighting. We made our best speed
(09:46):
across the strip of wood that nowdivided us from the stockade, and at
every step we took the voices ofthe buccaneers rang nearer. Soon we could
hear their footfalls as they ran,and the cracking of the branches as they
breasted across a bit of thicket.I began to see we should have a
brush for it. In earnest andlooked to my priming. Captain said,
(10:09):
I, Trelawny is the dead shot. Give him your gun. His own
is useless. They exchanged guns,and Trelawney, silent and cool as he
had been since the beginning of thebustle, hung a moment on his heel
to see that all was fit forservice. At the same time, observing
Gray to be unarmed, I handedhim my cutlass. It did all our
(10:33):
hearts good to see him spit inhis hand, knit his brows, and
make the blades sing through the air. It was plain from every line of
his body that our new hand wasworth his salt. Forty paces farther,
we came to the edge of thewood and saw the stockade in front of
us. We struck the enclosure aboutthe middle of the south side, and
(10:54):
almost at the same time seven mutineers, Job Anderson the bowsan that their head
appeared in full cry at the southwesterncorner. They paused as if taken aback,
and before they recovered not only theSquire and I, but Hunter and
Joyce from the block house had timeto fire. The four shots came in
(11:16):
rather a scattering volley, but theydid the business one of the enemy actually
fell, and the rest, withouthesitation, turned and plunged into the trees.
After reloading, we walked down theoutside of the palisade to see the
fallen enemy. He was stone dead, shot through the heart. We began
(11:37):
to rejoice over our good success,when just at that moment a pistol cracked
in the bush and a ball whistledclose past my ear, and poor Tom
Redruth stumbled and fell his length onthe ground. Both the Squire and I
returned the shot, but as wehad nothing to aim at, it was
probable we only wasted powder. Thenwe reloaded and turned our attention to poor
(12:00):
Tom. The Captain and Gray werealready examining him, and I saw with
half an eye that all was over. I believe the readiness of our returned
volley had scattered the mutineers once more, for we were suffered without further molestation
to get the poor old gamekeeper hoistedover the stockade and carried, groaning and
bleeding into the log house. Poorold fellow, he had not uttered one
(12:26):
word of surprise, complaint, tofear, or even acquiescence from the very
beginning of our troubles till now,when we had laid him down on the
log house to die. He hadlain like a trojan behind his mattress in
the gallery. He had followed everyorder silently, doggedly and well. He
was the oldest of our party bya score of years, and now sullen,
(12:50):
old, serviceable servant. It washe that was to die. The
Squire dropped down beside him on hisknees and kissed his hand, eying like
a child. Be I going doctor, he asked tom My Man said,
I you're going home. I wishI had had a liquet em with the
(13:11):
gun first, he replied, tomsaid, the Squire say you forgive me,
won't you? Would that be respectfullike from me to you, squire?
Was the answer, howsoever it beamen. After a little while of
silence, he said he thought somebodymight read a prayer. It's the custom,
(13:35):
sir, he added apologetically, andnot long after, without another word,
he passed away. In the meantime, the Captain, whom I had
observed to be wonderfully swollen about thechest and pockets, had turned out a
great many various stores, the Britishcolors, a bible, a coil of
Stoutish rope, pen ink, thelog book and pounds of tobacco. He
(14:01):
had found a longish fir tree lyingfelled and cleared in the enclosure, and
with the help of Hunter, hehad set it up at the corner of
the log house where the trunks crossedand made an angle. Then, climbing
up on the roof, he hadwith his own hand bent and run up
the colors. This seemed mightily torelieve him. He re entered the log
(14:22):
house and set about counting up thestores as if nothing else existed. But
he had an eye on Tom's passagefor all that, And as soon as
all was over, came forward withanother flag and reverently spread it on the
body. Don't you take on,sir, he said, shaking the Squire's
(14:43):
hand. All's well with him.No fear for a hand that's been shot
down in his duty to captain namedowner. It mayn't be good, divinity,
but it's a fact. Then hepulled me aside, Doctor Livesey,
he said, in how many weeksdo you and Squire expect the consort I
(15:07):
told him it was a question notof weeks, but of months, that
if we were not back by theend of August, blandly was to send
to find us. But neither soonernor later. You can calculate for yourself,
I said, why yes, returnedthe captain, scratching his head and
making a large allowance. Sir,for all the gifts of providence, I
(15:31):
should say we were pretty close hauled. How do you mean, I asked.
It's a pity, sir, welost that second load. That's what
I mean, replied the captain.As for powder and shot, we'll do,
but the rations are short, veryshort. So shocked doctor Livesey that
(15:54):
we're perhaps as well without that extramouth, and he pointed to the dead
body under the flag. Just then, with a roar and a whistle,
a round shot passed high above theroof of the log house and plumped far
beyond us in the wood. Oho, said the captain, Blaze away,
(16:15):
you've litten enough powder already, mylads. At the second trial, the
aim was better, and the balldescended inside the stockade, scattering a cloud
of sand, but doing no furtherdamage. Captain said the squire. The
house is quite invisible from the ship. It must be the flag they're aiming
(16:36):
at. Would it not be wiserto take it in strike? My colors
cried the captain, no, sir, not i, And as soon as
he had said the word, Ithink we all agreed with him, for
it was not only a piece ofstout, seemingly good feeling, it was
a good policy besides, and showedour enemies that we despised their cannonade.
(17:00):
All through the evening they kept thunderingaway. Ball after ball flew over or
fell short, or kicked up thesand in the enclosure, but they had
to fire so high that the shotfell dead and buried itself in the soft
sand. We had no ricochet tofear, and though one popped in through
the roof of the log house andout again through the floor, we soon
(17:23):
got used to that sort of horseplayand minded it no more than cricket.
There is one good thing about allthis, observed the Captain. The wood
in front of us is likely clear. The EBB has made a good while
our stores should be uncovered. Volunteersto go and bring in pork. Gray
(17:47):
and Hunter were the first to comeforward. Well armed, they stole out
of the stockade, but it proveda useless mission. The mutineers were bolder
than we fancied, or they putmore trust in Israel's gunnery. For four
or five of them were busy carryingoff our stores and wading out with them
to one of the gigs that layclose by, pulling an oar or so
(18:08):
to hold her steady against the current. Silver was in the stern sheets in
command, and every man of themwas now provided with a musket from some
secret magazine of their own. Thecaptain sat down to his log and here
is the beginning of the entry.Alexander Swollett, Master, David Livesey,
(18:33):
ship's doctor, Abraham Gray, carpenter'smate, John Trelawney, Owner, John
Hunter, and Richard Joyce, owner'sservants, land's men, being all that
is left faithful of the ship's companywith stores for ten days at short rations,
came ashore this day and flew Britishcolours on the log house in Treasure
(18:56):
Island. Thomas Redruth, own servant, landsman shot by the mutineers. James
Hawkins, cabin boy. And atthe same time I was wondering over poor
Jim hawkins fate. A hail onthe land side. Somebody hailing us,
said Hunter, who was on guard, Doctor Squire, Captain Halloo. Hunter,
(19:21):
is that you came the cries,and I ran to the door in
time to see Jim Hawkins, safeand sound, come climbing over the stockade
and off Chapter eighteen.
Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Treasure Islandby Robert Lewis Stevenson, read by Adrian
(00:21):
Pratzellus, Chapter seventeen, narrative continuedby the Doctor the Jolly Boat's last trip.
This fifth trip was quite different fromany of the others. In the
first place, the little galley partof a boat that we were in was
gravely overloaded, five grown men,and three of them trelawney, redruth,
(00:44):
and the captain, over six feethigh, was already more than she was
meant to carry. Add to thatthe powder, pork and the bread bags.
The gunwales were lipping astern several timeswe shipped a little water, and
my breeches and the tails my coatwere all soaking wet. Before we had
gone a hundred yards. The captainmade us trim the boat, and we
(01:07):
got her to lie a little moreevenly. All the same we were afraid
to breathe. In the second place, the ebb was now making a strong
rippling current running westward through the basin, and then southered and seaward down the
straits by which we had entered inthe morning. Even the ripples were a
danger to our overloaded craft. Butthe worst of it was that we were
(01:29):
swept out of our true course andaway from our proper landing place behind the
point. If we let the currenthave its way, we should come ashore
beside the gigs, where the piratesmight appear at any moment. I cannot
keep her head for the stockade,sir, said I to the captain.
I was steering while he and Redruth, two fresh men, were at the
(01:51):
oars. The tide keeps washing herdown. Could you pull a little stronger,
not without swamping the boat. Sayyou must bear up, sir,
If you please bear up until yousee your gaining. I tried, and
found by experiment that the tide keptsweeping us westward till I had laid her
(02:14):
head due east, or just aboutright angles to the way we ought to
go. We'll never get ashore atthis rate, said I. If it's
the only course we can lie,sir, we must even lie, it,
returned the Captain. We must keepupstream, you see, sir,
He went on, If once wedropped to leeward of the landing place,
(02:37):
it's hard to say where we shouldget ashore, besides the chance of being
boarded by the gigs. Whereas theway we go the current must slacken,
and then we can dodge back alongthe shore the current's lesser. Ready,
sir, said the man Gray,who was sitting in the fore sheets.
(02:59):
You can ease off a bit.Thank you, my man, said I,
as if nothing had happened, forwe had all quietly made up our
minds to treat him like one ofourselves. Suddenly the Captain spoke up again,
and I thought his voice was alittle changed. The gun said he.
(03:19):
I have thought of that, saidI, for I made sure he
was thinking of a bombardment of thefort. They could never get the gun
ashore, and if they did,they could never haul it through the woods.
Look astern doctor replied the captain.We had entirely forgotten the long nine.
And there, to our horror werethe five rogues busy about her getting
(03:43):
off her jacket, as they calledthe stout top hole in cover under which
she sailed. Not only that,but it flashed into my mind at the
same moment that the round shot andthe powder for the gun had been left
behind, and the stroke of anaxe would put it all into the possession
of the evil ones abroad. Israelwas Flint's gunner, said Gray hoarsely.
(04:04):
At any risk, we put theboat's head directly for the landing place.
By this time we had got sofar out of the run of the current
that we kept steerage way even atour necessarily gentle rate of rowing, and
I could keep her steady for thegoal. But the worst of it was
that, with the course I nowheld, we turned our broadside instead of
(04:28):
our stern to the Hispaniola and offereda target like a barn door. I
could hear as well as see thatbrandy faced rascal Israel Hands plumping down a
round shot on the deck. Who'sthe best shot, asked the captain,
mister Trelawney, out and away,said I, mister Trelawney, will you
(04:50):
please pick me off one of thosemen, Sir hands, if are possible,
said the captain. Trelawney was ascold as steel. He looked to
the priming of his gun. Now, cried the captain. Easy with that
gun, sir, or yall swampthe boat all hands stand by to trim
(05:11):
her. When he aims, thesquire raised his gun. The rowing ceased,
and we leaned over to the otherside to keep the balance. And
all was so nicely contrived that wedid not ship a drop. They had
the gun by this time slewed aroundupon the swivel, and Hans, who
was at the muzzle with the rammer, was in consequence the most exposed.
(05:34):
However, we had no luck,for just as Trelawney fired down, he
stooped, the ball whistling over him, and it was one of the other
four who fell. The cry hegave was echoed not only by his companions
on board, but by a greatnumber of voices from the shore. And
looking out in that direction, Isaw the other pirates trooping out from among
(05:57):
the trees and tumbling into their placein the boats. Here come the gigs,
Sir said, I give way,then said the captain. We mustn't
mind if we swamp her now.If we can't get ashore, all's up.
Only one of the gigs is beingmanned, Sir, I added.
The crew of the other is mostlikely going around by shore to cut us
(06:20):
off. They'll have a hot run. Sir returned the captain jack ashore.
You know, if it's not nearmy mind, it's the round shot carpet
bowls. My lady's maid couldn't miss. Tell us, squire, when you
see the match, and we'll holdwater. In the meantime, we had
(06:41):
been making headway at a good pacefor a boat so overloaded, and we
had shipped but little water in theprocess. We were now close in thirty
or forty strokes, and we shouldbeat her, for the Ebb had already
disclosed a narrow belt of sand belowthe clustering trees. The gig was no
long longer to be feared. Thelittle point had already concealed it from our
(07:03):
eyes. The Ebb tide, whichhad so cruelly delayed us, was now
making reparation and delaying our assailants.The one source of danger was the gun.
If I durst, said the Captain, I'd stop and pick off another
man. It was plain that theymeant nothing should delay their shot. They
(07:25):
had never so much as looked attheir fallen comrade, though he was not
dead, and I could see himtrying to crawl away. Ready, cried
the squire. Hold cried the captain, quick as an echo, and he
and Redruth backed with a great heavethat sent her astern bodily under water.
The report fell into the same instantof time. This was the first that
(07:48):
Jim heard the sound of the squire'sshot, not having reached him. When
the bull passed. Not one ofus precisely knew, but I fancy it
must have been over our heads,and that the wind of it may have
contributed to our disaster. At anyrate, the boats sunk by the stern
quite gently in three feet of water, leaving the captain and myself facing each
(08:11):
other on our feet. The otherthree took complete headers and came up again
drenched and bubbling. So far therewas no great harm, no lives were
lost, and we could wade ashorein safety. But there were all our
stores at the bottom, and tomake things worse, only two guns out
of five remained in a state forservice. Mine I had snatched from my
(08:35):
knees and held over my head bya sort of instinct. As for the
captain, he had carried his overhis shoulder by a bandolier, and like
a wise man, lock uppermost.The other three had gone down with the
boat. To add to our concern, we heard voices already drawing nearer to
us in the wood along the shore, and we had only the danger of
(08:56):
being cut off from the stockade inour half crip called state. But the
fear before us whether if Hunter andJoyce were attacked by half a dozen they
would have the sense and conduct tostand firm. Hunter was steady, that
we knew. Joyce was a doubtfulcase, a pleasant polite man for a
valet and to brush one's clothes,but not entirely fitted for a man of
(09:20):
war. With all this in ourminds, we waded ashore as fast as
we could, leaving behind us thepoor jolly boat and a good half of
all our powder and provisions. Endof chapter seventeen. Chapter eighteen narrative continued
by the Doctor end of the firstday's fighting. We made our best speed
(09:46):
across the strip of wood that nowdivided us from the stockade, and at
every step we took the voices ofthe buccaneers rang nearer. Soon we could
hear their footfalls as they ran,and the cracking of the branches as they
breasted across a bit of thicket.I began to see we should have a
brush for it. In earnest andlooked to my priming. Captain said,
(10:09):
I, Trelawny is the dead shot. Give him your gun. His own
is useless. They exchanged guns,and Trelawney, silent and cool as he
had been since the beginning of thebustle, hung a moment on his heel
to see that all was fit forservice. At the same time, observing
Gray to be unarmed, I handedhim my cutlass. It did all our
(10:33):
hearts good to see him spit inhis hand, knit his brows, and
make the blades sing through the air. It was plain from every line of
his body that our new hand wasworth his salt. Forty paces farther,
we came to the edge of thewood and saw the stockade in front of
us. We struck the enclosure aboutthe middle of the south side, and
(10:54):
almost at the same time seven mutineers, Job Anderson the bowsan that their head
appeared in full cry at the southwesterncorner. They paused as if taken aback,
and before they recovered not only theSquire and I, but Hunter and
Joyce from the block house had timeto fire. The four shots came in
(11:16):
rather a scattering volley, but theydid the business one of the enemy actually
fell, and the rest, withouthesitation, turned and plunged into the trees.
After reloading, we walked down theoutside of the palisade to see the
fallen enemy. He was stone dead, shot through the heart. We began
(11:37):
to rejoice over our good success,when just at that moment a pistol cracked
in the bush and a ball whistledclose past my ear, and poor Tom
Redruth stumbled and fell his length onthe ground. Both the Squire and I
returned the shot, but as wehad nothing to aim at, it was
probable we only wasted powder. Thenwe reloaded and turned our attention to poor
(12:00):
Tom. The Captain and Gray werealready examining him, and I saw with
half an eye that all was over. I believe the readiness of our returned
volley had scattered the mutineers once more, for we were suffered without further molestation
to get the poor old gamekeeper hoistedover the stockade and carried, groaning and
bleeding into the log house. Poorold fellow, he had not uttered one
(12:26):
word of surprise, complaint, tofear, or even acquiescence from the very
beginning of our troubles till now,when we had laid him down on the
log house to die. He hadlain like a trojan behind his mattress in
the gallery. He had followed everyorder silently, doggedly and well. He
was the oldest of our party bya score of years, and now sullen,
(12:50):
old, serviceable servant. It washe that was to die. The
Squire dropped down beside him on hisknees and kissed his hand, eying like
a child. Be I going doctor, he asked tom My Man said,
I you're going home. I wishI had had a liquet em with the
(13:11):
gun first, he replied, tomsaid, the Squire say you forgive me,
won't you? Would that be respectfullike from me to you, squire?
Was the answer, howsoever it beamen. After a little while of
silence, he said he thought somebodymight read a prayer. It's the custom,
(13:35):
sir, he added apologetically, andnot long after, without another word,
he passed away. In the meantime, the Captain, whom I had
observed to be wonderfully swollen about thechest and pockets, had turned out a
great many various stores, the Britishcolors, a bible, a coil of
Stoutish rope, pen ink, thelog book and pounds of tobacco. He
(14:01):
had found a longish fir tree lyingfelled and cleared in the enclosure, and
with the help of Hunter, hehad set it up at the corner of
the log house where the trunks crossedand made an angle. Then, climbing
up on the roof, he hadwith his own hand bent and run up
the colors. This seemed mightily torelieve him. He re entered the log
(14:22):
house and set about counting up thestores as if nothing else existed. But
he had an eye on Tom's passagefor all that, And as soon as
all was over, came forward withanother flag and reverently spread it on the
body. Don't you take on,sir, he said, shaking the Squire's
(14:43):
hand. All's well with him.No fear for a hand that's been shot
down in his duty to captain namedowner. It mayn't be good, divinity,
but it's a fact. Then hepulled me aside, Doctor Livesey,
he said, in how many weeksdo you and Squire expect the consort I
(15:07):
told him it was a question notof weeks, but of months, that
if we were not back by theend of August, blandly was to send
to find us. But neither soonernor later. You can calculate for yourself,
I said, why yes, returnedthe captain, scratching his head and
making a large allowance. Sir,for all the gifts of providence, I
(15:31):
should say we were pretty close hauled. How do you mean, I asked.
It's a pity, sir, welost that second load. That's what
I mean, replied the captain.As for powder and shot, we'll do,
but the rations are short, veryshort. So shocked doctor Livesey that
(15:54):
we're perhaps as well without that extramouth, and he pointed to the dead
body under the flag. Just then, with a roar and a whistle,
a round shot passed high above theroof of the log house and plumped far
beyond us in the wood. Oho, said the captain, Blaze away,
(16:15):
you've litten enough powder already, mylads. At the second trial, the
aim was better, and the balldescended inside the stockade, scattering a cloud
of sand, but doing no furtherdamage. Captain said the squire. The
house is quite invisible from the ship. It must be the flag they're aiming
(16:36):
at. Would it not be wiserto take it in strike? My colors
cried the captain, no, sir, not i, And as soon as
he had said the word, Ithink we all agreed with him, for
it was not only a piece ofstout, seemingly good feeling, it was
a good policy besides, and showedour enemies that we despised their cannonade.
(17:00):
All through the evening they kept thunderingaway. Ball after ball flew over or
fell short, or kicked up thesand in the enclosure, but they had
to fire so high that the shotfell dead and buried itself in the soft
sand. We had no ricochet tofear, and though one popped in through
the roof of the log house andout again through the floor, we soon
(17:23):
got used to that sort of horseplayand minded it no more than cricket.
There is one good thing about allthis, observed the Captain. The wood
in front of us is likely clear. The EBB has made a good while
our stores should be uncovered. Volunteersto go and bring in pork. Gray
(17:47):
and Hunter were the first to comeforward. Well armed, they stole out
of the stockade, but it proveda useless mission. The mutineers were bolder
than we fancied, or they putmore trust in Israel's gunnery. For four
or five of them were busy carryingoff our stores and wading out with them
to one of the gigs that layclose by, pulling an oar or so
(18:08):
to hold her steady against the current. Silver was in the stern sheets in
command, and every man of themwas now provided with a musket from some
secret magazine of their own. Thecaptain sat down to his log and here
is the beginning of the entry.Alexander Swollett, Master, David Livesey,
(18:33):
ship's doctor, Abraham Gray, carpenter'smate, John Trelawney, Owner, John
Hunter, and Richard Joyce, owner'sservants, land's men, being all that
is left faithful of the ship's companywith stores for ten days at short rations,
came ashore this day and flew Britishcolours on the log house in Treasure
(18:56):
Island. Thomas Redruth, own servant, landsman shot by the mutineers. James
Hawkins, cabin boy. And atthe same time I was wondering over poor
Jim hawkins fate. A hail onthe land side. Somebody hailing us,
said Hunter, who was on guard, Doctor Squire, Captain Halloo. Hunter,
(19:21):
is that you came the cries,and I ran to the door in
time to see Jim Hawkins, safeand sound, come climbing over the stockade
and off Chapter eighteen.
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